Characterisation of silicon fibre Bragg grating in near‐infrared band for strain and temperature sensing

Fibre Bragg grating inscription in the crystalline silicon (Si)‐core fibre is described using visible light femtosecond laser pulses. The femtosecond pulses at 517 nm propagate through the transparent silica glass cladding and are fully absorbed by the Si core generating locally high temperatures and stress fields in forming the grating periods. The Si FBGs were characterised in reflection, calibrated for a first time as strain and temperature sensors and compared with that of FBGs inscribed in standard silica fibres.